Three Young Women Receive Girl Scouts' Highest Award

Community News

June 23, 2007|By JUDY PRATO

Jennifer Soltis of Simsbury, Beth Soucy of Unionville and Stephanie Whittemore of Simsbury have all earned their Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. The awards were presented by Girl Scouts, Connecticut Trails Council Inc., at the 2007 Gold Award High Tea on June 3 at the Grand Pequot Hotel in Ledyard.

Jennifer's project consisted of cataloging the gravestones in the Old Tariffville Cemetery. Her finished project is a bound book of listings and photographs complete with the deceased names, relationships, dates and ages, and plot locations. Jennifer cross-checked her findings against the Charles Hale records and a 1990 Eagle Scout project which had mapped the cemetery. The completed book was presented to the local historical society. Jennifer attends Mount Holyoke College, where she is studying philosophy, music and chemistry.

Beth, an active member of the high school robotics team, created a life-size version of ``Meet Gizmo: The Start of a Journey,'' a book created by the robotics team to introduce robotics to elementary school children. Her life-size book allows children to literally ``step into'' the pages of the book and complements the interactive approach to the science and technology program her team put together. Beth plans to attend Brown University, then enter a sales and marketing career with an engineering company.

Stephanie's project was to create a memory garden in her hometown for families who have lost children. With cooperation from the Simsbury Park and Recreation Department, she chose a location in Schultz Park. With the help of junior girl scouts, family and friends, she cleared overgrown trees and bushes, refurbished benches, planted a garden and held a dedication ceremony. Stephanie plans to attend LeMoyne College to study religion and poetry.

Lauren T. Kiel of Simsbury has graduated summa cum laude from Middlebury College in Vermont, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in theater. She was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and was awarded highest honors from the theater department. Lauren is performing in ``Politics of Passion'' with the Potomac Theatre project at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York City. Lauren is a 2003 graduate of Simsbury High School.

T'ai A. Chu-Richardson of Farmington was awarded a bachelor of arts degree from Connecticut College, New London on May 20. T'ai was awarded a degree in English with honors.

Three area students at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pa., have been named to the dean's list they are: Kristen W. Lashnits of West Simsbury daughter of John and Janice Lashnits and a gradute of The Ethel Walker School; Caitlin W. McLaughlin, of Farmington, daughter of Robert and Patricia McLaughlin and a graduate of Miss Porter's School and John R. Schlicher of Simsbury, son of Richard and Jill Schlicher and a graduate of Simsbury High School.

Jennifer Rosenbush, a member of the class of 2007 at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the daughter of David and Jane Rosenbush of Simsbury, received a bachelors of arts degree cum laude with honors in economics and anthropology. Earlier, she was elected to membership in Periclean, Skidmore's own academic honor society. She also was elected to membership in the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international economics honor society.

Also, Allison Keane of New Hartford has graduated summa cum laude from Skidmore College, with a combined major in history and government, and a minor in Spanish. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and is a member of the International History Honor Society and the National Political Science Honor Society. She participated in Irish and swing dancing, and was a peer mentor in her senior year. She will continue her studies in European history, languages and international relations in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Allison is a graduate of Northwestern Regional High School, and is the daughter of Jill and Kevin Keane.

Ian M. Thomas, of Farmington has graduated from Wingate University, North Carolina with a bachelor of arts degree, magna cum laude and is the son of William and Elizabeth H. Thomas.

Jeffrey R. Fusick of North Granby, received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering and was commissioned in the U.S. Navy at Virginia Military Institute's commencement on May 16. He is a graduate of Northwest Catholic High School. While at VMI, he was a member of the Army Aviation Association of America, Rat Challenge Cadre and The Alpine Ski Team. He will attend flight school in Pensacola, Fla., with the Navy. He is the son of Robert and Elizabeth Fusick.

Judy Prato collects news about residents in the Farmington Valley area for this column. Please send contributions to her at The Courant, 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115. The e-mail address is jprato@courant.com; the phone number is 860-241-6572 and the fax number is 860-241-3865.